New Things
by AmeBuchanan
Summary: Angela drags Bella to the club for New Years and a negative figure from the past turns out to be a great new thing for the future. AU - The Cullens don’t return in NM and they don’t make an appearance here - Happy Bella - Happy New Years - Rated M for language only.


I didn't know why I was here. It was 30 minutes until the New Year and somehow Angela convinced me to go clubbing. The two of us moved to New York after graduating from high school. We both were accepted into the same university and while college life brought Angela completely out of her shell, I was mostly the same; good ol' Bella.

I wasn't nearly as awkward or shy as before, but I wasn't anymore into the party scene after four years of being dragged to every party Angela heard about through the grapevine.

2020 started our first year post-college and I was as excited as my best friend for the many things the future held. I just hoped to bring in the New Year on our couch, in our apartment, wrapped in blankets, while watching TV.

"Bella, come on, dance with me!" Angela was one of the few people I knew who could party without being absolutely wasted. I couldn't dance without the alcohol running through my body. I wasn't nearly as uncoordinated as I was in my youth, but that didn't mean I was chasing down opportunities to prove it. "Please, honey, I want you to have fun. We're 20 minutes from the New Year and you're moping."

I sighed and rolled my eyes, but I let my best friend take my hand and lead me to the dance floor. She was right, I knew it. Who knew, maybe if I started the year off having fun and being happy, the rest of the year would follow suit, so I let go. I danced like tonight was my last and I couldn't deny how good it felt.

My hair flowed around me and the various bodies of other people rubbed against me here and there. A thin layer of sweat glistened on my skin and the glowing lights from above and below me made the whole scene even better. I felt free, no school work, no annoying part time job, no waking up early or kicking one night stands out before rushing to my morning class with a hangover and two different shoes on my feet.

This moment was a good one, but I wanted even more. I wanted to kiss someone as the clock struck midnight. I wanted to experience one of those cliche movie moments just for the fun of it. So I turned blindly to the person closest to me as the count down began and pulled them in for what was surprisingly one of the best kisses of my life.

Their arms easily latched around my waist, lean muscles flexed around the bare skin above my tight jeans. My hands found their way around soft, narrow shoulders and into long silky hair. This must be a girl, I wasn't upset by it in the slightest. The only difference between males and females was women liked to cuddle after a great night and men liked to watch TV with their dick out and scare the shit out of my roommate.

Her lips were cold, but they were full and soft. The back of her neck was equally cold, but the feeling of her soft tresses between my fingers was a more interesting detail. Her tongue swiped my bottom lip and as the club yelled "happy new year," our tongues met and fireworks went off outside.

People cheered around us, but I was caught up in this moment. Things stayed slow, there was no rush, the kiss wasn't fueled by the need to get the other out of their clothes. It was slow and passionate, even without knowing this woman, I could tell she put her greatest effort into everything. I broke the kiss, my teeth nipping her bottom lip before pulling away completely. My eyes opened and red ones stared into mine.

"Oh fuck." I gasped, she smirked in a way I had engrained in my memory from quite sometime ago; a time before I found myself.

"Long time no see, Isabella." She purred in my ear and I couldn't help feeling a bit shaken by the sultry tone. I wasn't sure how I made it four years and then some without crossing paths with her. She was ran off by the wolves every time she came close during my days in Forks, but I hadn't been in Forks for quite sometime.

It was impossible for me to believe that she didn't hear about my move to New York. If she spent as much time stalking me as the wolves implied, I wouldn't be surprised if she knew about the birth mark on my inner thigh.

"Yeah, a real long time." I nodded. I slowly became aware of the world around us and realized neither of us had let go of the other. She didn't make a move to kidnap me or pull me into a private corner of the club, we just stood their, swaying together, pressed tightly against one another.

Her eyes seemed different, not color wise, she was still very much taking her fill of humans, but she looked relaxed. She didn't seem so angry or on guard and I had to admit it was a good look for her.

"Thank you. I could say the same for you. Hair down, body on display, a left and right foot on the dance floor." Her thumbs traced nonsensical patterns over my exposed lower back. I never imagined a day I wouldn't feel threatened by her presence, then again I never imagined running into her again either.

"What brings you to New York?" I didn't need to yell over the music, she heard me perfectly.

"Would you laugh if I said I came to sight see?" She spoke with her lips against my ear. Her cool breath sent shivers down my spine, but I did laugh. She pouted adorably and I smiled at how cute she was. She was all sharp angles and statuesque, but after years of being surrounded by models in training and athletes, I didn't see beautiful people the way I use to.

Rosalie was an intimidating figure both because she was beautiful and mean. I thought beautiful people were shallow and characterless from my experiences with her, but now I knew there was much more beneath the surface. Not for all of them, but for many.

"Yes, but only because I don't believe you." I couldn't imagine a vampire sight seeing for long. She was over 150 years old when we met, if Laurent was telling the truth back then. It was hard to believe she hadn't done plenty of sight seeing during the many years she spent traveling with her former coven.

"Trust me, there's a new sight in the city. It's only about 22 years old, a new art piece called Isabella Swan." She grinned at me, my eyes widened for a moment, but I couldn't help smiling back.

"Is that so, have you had the chance to see it yet? With a name like that, I'm sure it's a masterpiece." I wasn't lacking on self-confidence. I didn't find myself very attractive in high school, partially because most people weren't and partially because I spent a year surrounded by immortal beauty. I grew into my looks, my features matured, and my body filled out in ways my wispy teenage self could only dream of.

"I have actually. I can confirm that it is even better than I envisioned."

I giggled at her reply. Someone tapped my shoulder. Her red eyes narrowed at the person and her arms tightened around my waist.

"Bella!" Angela yelled over the music. I turned my head enough to make eye contact with her, but the arms around my waist wouldn't allow much more.

"Hey babe, are you ready to go home?" Angela was a babe and I told her so often that eventually it became her nickname. I found Ange very attractive, but I wasn't willing to incorporate sex into our friendship because I knew like everyone I slept with knew, I wasn't emotionally available. It wasn't because I was recovering from heartbreak or because I didn't believe in romance, I could just tell within the first few moments of meeting someone what role they would play in my life.

I wasn't the sort to lead people on and I wasn't the sort to force myself into something I wasn't willing to invest in entirely. Causal sex with former classmates was one thing, but casual sex with my best friend was an entirely different situation. Especially since Angela got attached to her sexual conquests pretty easily, I wasn't willing to break her heart just because I couldn't keep my pants on for long.

"Yeah, I'm getting tired and I have to work tomorrow." She smiled softly and seemed to avoid making eye contact with the woman pressed against me. "Are you bringing someone home?" She always asked. If I was bringing someone home, it was my responsibility to call an Uber because she wasn't willing to have me and some random person dry humping in her backseat.

"I don't know, but don't worry, I'll find a ride home. Go get some sleep." She nodded and kissed my cheek before disappearing into the crowd.

The arms around me relaxed a bit. Cool lips were back against my ear and her sultry rasp was flowing through me again.

"She's in love with you." Her teeth nipped my ear lobe and I shut my eyes tightly. She had an affect on me, an upper hand that a lot of people would commit crimes for. I was usually the one who chased, the one who seduced, but tonight was different from every other before. I was the prey tonight and I was enjoying it immensely.

"I know." I whimpered as her teeth scraped my neck.

"You don't want her." She stated. The way she spoke made me feel like she was both convincing herself and persuading me. I wasn't sure why it mattered, but I wasn't going to question it. Tonight was the start of a fresh decade and there were many things to explore. I wanted to go with the flow, to watch things as they happened and enjoy every moment in its entirety.

"Why is that?" I smirked.

"It's a new year, Isabella. It's time to try something new." She brushed her lips against my jaw before pressing soft kisses against my cheek and the corner of my mouth.

"Like what?" I whispered as her lips hovered a fraction of an inch from mine.

"Me." I felt her answer more so than heard it. When our lips met for the second time, I realized there was never any fireworks when the clock struck midnight, it was only her, us, in this moment.


End file.
